Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a serious eye condition caused by damage to the blood vessels in the retina—the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye—is a major public health concern in India. This sight-threatening disease, particularly prevalent in urban areas, affects at least 17% of known diabetic patients in the country. India, which has the world’s second-largest diabetic population after China, is facing an increasing burden of this complication.
The National Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy Survey (2015–2019) reported that 16.9% of individuals aged 50 years and above had diabetic retinopathy. Of these, 3.6% had sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy (STDR), while 11.8% presented with mild retinopathy.
Experts attribute the currently observed higher prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in the urban centres to improved access to diagnostics and screening programs. "If real-time data across regions were available and analysed, the numbers would likely be even higher and show little disparity between rural and urban India," says Dr. Abhilash Chandran, a Mumbai -based medical researcher in endocrinology.
He further emphasised the growing need for intervention in rural regions; “The rising incidence of diabetes in rural areas necessitates increased awareness and robust screening efforts.”
While several AI-based retinal screening systems have been developed and piloted in collaboration with Indian hospitals, the country still faces a critical need for scalable solutions that can support early detection—especially in underserved regions.
“Given the substantial burden of diabetic retinopathy in India, it is crucial to implement comprehensive screening programs, raise public awareness, and ensure timely treatment to prevent vision loss among people with diabetes,” said another diabetologist contacted by The New Indian Express on Tuesday.
One such effort is Google Health’s Automated Retinal Disease Assessment (ARDA), an AI-driven screening solution currently being tested in partnership with select Indian hospitals. Another initiative targeting this unmet need is a strategic partnership between Remidio Innovative Solutions, an AI-powered ophthalmic diagnostics firm, and RetinaRisk, a health tech company based in Iceland. Together, they aim to enhance risk-based diabetic retinopathy screening in India and Iceland.
From a public health perspective, this collaboration supports more cost-effective screening programs by tailoring screening intervals. Low-risk individuals can undergo less frequent monitoring, while high-risk patients receive timely follow-ups, say the companies.
Dr. Anand Sivaraman, CEO of Remidio, claimed that the collaboration goes beyond detection. “It enables care pathways that are not just reactive but preventative. It aligns with our mission to eliminate preventable blindness using technology that is clinically robust, scalable, and accessible,” he said in a recent statement, announcing the partnership.
"In our validation study involving nearly 1,000 individuals with type 2 diabetes over four years, the RetinaRisk algorithm demonstrated strong predictive performance for sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy (STDR)," said Dr. Rajiv Raman, Senior Consultant at Sankara Nethralaya, in the statement.
According to world health data, an estimated 22.27% of people with diabetes have diabetic retinopathy globally. The number of affected adults is projected to rise from 103.12 million in 2020 to 160.50 million by 2045. India alone accounts for over 9.2 million cases, underscoring the urgent need for scalable, personalised screening strategies.